Episode 25: The Wallet, The Rock, and The Hoard
[Location: Liyue Harbor – Shitou's Jade Mystery]
[Time: 3:15 PM]
"Jade," Zhongli began, crossing his arms and looking at the table of rough stones like a professor inspecting a disappointing thesis. "Is the soul of the earth. To determine the quality of Noctilucous Jade, one must look for the internal temperature. The brighter the blue under high heat, the higher the quality."
Shitou, the merchant, rubbed his hands together nervously. "Ah, yes! A true connoisseur! But these stones are encased in rock. You have to bet on which one holds the true treasure. No refunds, of course."
Aether stared at the three rocks. "They look exactly the same."
"Paimon thinks we should just smash them all!" Paimon suggested helpfully.
"A crude method," Zhongli sighed. "But without Elemental Sight or a Pyro Vision to heat them, it is a game of chance."
I stepped forward, cracking my knuckles.
"Chance? I don't believe in chance. I believe in data."
[Great Sage]
Scanning targets...
Target A: 12% Jade content. Low purity.
Target B: 45% Jade content. Medium purity.
Target C: 98% Jade content. High purity. Contains trace Geo Elemental energy.>
It was like looking at a video game HUD. The answer was glowing in front of my face.
"That one," I pointed at the third rock on the right. "It's denser. The molecular vibration is different. It's practically humming."
Shitou blinked. "Are... are you sure? You didn't even touch it."
"I have good eyes," I shrugged. "Cut it open."
Shitou hesitated, then took a chisel and hammer. Clink. Crack.
The outer shell fell away, revealing a slab of jade so blue it looked like a piece of the night sky had been solidified. It glowed with a soft, ethereal light even in the afternoon sun.
"Incredible!" Shitou gasped. "I haven't seen a piece this pure in years!"
Zhongli nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. "Impressive intuition, Raiden. You possess an eye for value that rivals the merchants of old."
"It's a useful talent," I said. "Now, how much?"
Shitou scratched his head. "Well, for a piece this rare... 50,000 Mora."
Aether checked his bag. "We have... 3,000."
We all turned to look at Zhongli. The God of Contracts. The creator of Mora itself.
Zhongli patted his pockets. He checked his coat. He checked his pants.
He looked up with a perfectly straight face.
"It appears I have forgotten my wallet."
Paimon threw her hands in the air. "AGAIN?! You're treating us to dinner and rituals, but you never have any money! How do you survive?!"
"I usually just... put it on the tab," Zhongli admitted shamelessly.
"I can't believe this guy," I muttered to Aether. "He's the ultimate freeloader."
"Yo! Need a bailout?"
Childe strolled up, tossing a heavy bag of Mora in his hand like a baseball. He smirked at me. "I saw that appraisal. Sharp eyes. You didn't just guess, did you?"
"Trade secret," I replied.
"I'll take the jade," Childe told Shitou, dropping the bag on the table. It landed with a heavy thud. "Actually, I'll take the entire stock. All the rocks."
"All of them?!" Shitou's eyes bulged.
"Why?" Aether asked.
"Because," Childe grinned, looking at me, "I have a feeling our friend Raiden here can find use for even the low-quality scraps. Besides, for the Rite of Parting, only the best will do. Better to have spares."
I looked at the pile of rocks.
[Great Sage]
"I'm not going to eat rocks, Sage," I thought.
[Great Sage]
I sighed. "Fine. We'll take them all. Thanks, Moneybags."
[Location: Liyue Harbor – Moving to Yujing Terrace]
[Time: 3:45 PM]
We had the jade. Next on the list were Silk Flowers for the perfumes.
As we walked through the bustling streets, a group of three men blocked our path. They wore masks and mismatched armor. Treasure Hoarders. But they looked... tougher than usual. They had a faint dark aura around them.
"Hand over the rocks," the leader growled, brandishing a shovel. "We saw you buy out Shitou. That's a lot of Mora walking around."
Childe sighed, adjusting his gloves. "I thought Liyue was peaceful. Do you want me to handle this, or...?"
"I got it," I stepped forward. "I need to stretch my legs."
"Get the kid!" The leader shouted. Two thugs rushed me with crude knives.
My perception slowed down. [Thought Acceleration].
They were moving in slow motion. I could see the sweat on their foreheads, the rust on their blades.
I didn't dodge.
I just activated [Steel Strength].
CLANG.
The knife hit my shoulder and bounced off with the sound of metal hitting an anvil. The thug looked at his blade, then at me, confused.
"My turn."
I grabbed the thug by the collar.
[Lust] skill activate—[Embrace Drain] (Low Output).
"Ugh—!" The thug's knees buckled instantly. I wasn't killing him, just sapping his stamina. He turned pale, his legs turning to jelly, and he collapsed to the ground, snoring loudly.
"What did you do to him?!" The leader screamed.
"He's just taking a nap," I smiled, showing slightly too many teeth. "Who's next?"
The third guy tried to flank me. I spun around, channeling a bit of Anemo into my fist.
"Dragon Style: Wind Blast!"
I punched the air in front of him. The shockwave (Cannonball punch principle) hit him in the gut, sending him flying ten feet back into a stack of crates.
Crash.
Silence fell over the street.
Aether clapped. "Nice control."
Childe was staring at me, his eyes narrowed. He wasn't looking at the punch. He was looking at the first guy I drained.
"Energy manipulation..." he muttered. "Not a Vision. Biological... interesting."
Zhongli walked past the unconscious bodies without even looking down. "Efficient. No permanent damage, minimal disruption to the flow of commerce. Excellent work, Raiden. Now, about those Silk Flowers..."
"Does nothing faze you people?" I asked, jogging to catch up.
"When you have lived as long as I have," Zhongli said, "Petty theft is merely a ripple in the stone."
[Location: Yujing Terrace]
[Time: 4:30 PM]
We arrived at the upper terrace where the Silk Flowers grew.
"Now," Zhongli said. "We need to hire three workers to process these flowers into perfumes. We need to create three distinct scents to offer to the Statue of the Seven. Rex Lapis... had discerning tastes."
"Let me guess," Paimon deadpanned. "You have no money to hire workers?"
Zhongli smiled.
"I'll go find Childe again," Aether sighed.
"Wait," I stopped him. I looked at the piles of Silk Flowers.
[Great Sage]
Capability: [Predator] stomach synthesis can extract oils instantly.
Capability: [All of Creation] can refine oils into perfume without workers.>
"We don't need workers," I said, grabbing a handful of flowers. "And we don't need to wait. I can make the perfume right now."
"You know alchemy?" Zhongli asked, curious.
"Something like that."
I shoved the flowers into my mouth.
"RAIDEN NO! DON'T EAT THE FLOWERS!" Paimon shrieked.
I swallowed.
[Predator]: Isolate Oils. Mix with Hydro. Refine. Output.
A few seconds later, I coughed.
Three small glass vials (which I had materialized from sand earlier) appeared in my hand, filled with three distinct liquids: One sweet, one mature, one subtle.
"Done," I handed them to a stunned Zhongli. "Essential oils extracted. High purity."
Zhongli uncorked one and sniffed it. His eyes widened slightly.
"This scent... it is identical to the one preferred by the Lady of Dust eons ago. How did you...?"
"Digestion," I grinned. "I have a very refined palate."
Zhongli looked at the vial, then at me. For a moment, he looked sad. Then, he smiled—a genuine, warm smile.
"You are full of surprises, Raiden Ragnvaldr. Perhaps this Rite of Parting will be more interesting than I anticipated."